§ MR. GREENEsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether it is true, Murphy, the Protestant lecturer, was taken into custody on Monday the 14th, previous to the meeting at Birmingham on the Irish Church Question; if so, will he object to lay upon the Table a Copy of the information on which he was arrested showing the charge preferred against him; whether any investigation has taken place; and, under what Act of Parliament he was arrested?
MR. BRUCEsaid, in reply, that he had recently received, a letter from the Mayor of Birmingham stating that large placards were posted about the town informing the people that Mr. Murphy would attend the meeting on the Irish Church Question. Considering this announcement respecting a man who had created so much tumult in Birmingham and other towns might lead to fresh disturbances in a meeting called to consider so interesting a subject as the Irish Church Bill, he (the Mayor) was impressed with the conviction that in the interest of peace and order he should prevent Murphy entering the Town Hall, and therefore ordered his arrest. Murphy was accordingly arrested, bail was taken for him, and he appeared before the magistrates, who dismissed the case. No information was laid, and consequently none could be produced. He (Mr. Bruce) had been unable to discover that the Mayor of Birmingham acted under any Act of Parliament or had legal sanction for what he did; he appeared to have acted on the basis of salus populi suprema lex, and to have undergone some considerable personal hazard, for the purpose of averting a popular danger.
§ MR. NEWDEGATEsaid, he wished to know when the Returns in answer to the Order of the House will be made with reference to the precedent of Law under which the right hon. Gentleman himself acted in a previous case with respect to this person and others who contemplated holding a meeting?
§ MR. GREENEsaid, he would beg to ask, Whether any man was answerable for the consequences, if he happened to cause a disturbance by his speech; 412 whether, in fact, he was liable to be arrested?
MR. BRUCEsaid, he had given the Mayor of Birmingham's own statement of his reasons for acting as he had done; he was not prepared to say whether he acted in strict accordance with legal principles.